Thursday, 6 September 2012

With Palestinian teachers in the Gaza Strip unable to get training on educating children with learning disorders, Atsuyoshi Saisho was determined to find a way around an Israeli blockade to help them.

The 23-year-old student of educational studies at Waseda University found a way, launching an online training program in June in a joint project with officials of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

“I wanted to help (Palestinians) break through the wall built by the blockade,” Saisho said.

Access to the Gaza Strip is strictly restricted by Israel’s economic sanctions, making it difficult to train teachers outside the Gaza Strip. Only five of about 240 schools there offer special programs to children with learning disorders and there are less than 20 experts.

Under the 20-hour training program for teachers, developed by Saisho and Mayada Al-natour, an associate professor and expert on education for children with learning disorders at Jordan University, teachers learn how to grasp the scope of a child’s disorder and map out a learning program for the student. more

HEBRON, September 6, 2012 (WAFA) – The Israeli authorities Thursday handed a Palestinian from Beit Ola, a town northwest of Hebron, a demolition order of his house, a water well, in addition to an animal barn, according to a local activist.

Coordinator of the popular committee against the wall, Isa al-Omla, told WAFA that Israeli forces handed Jamal al-Omla an order to demolish his 40-Square-meter house, a water well, and an animal barn in an area west of the town. more

Thursday 6th September, 30 members of Israel's intelligence community headed by Likud member, Moshe Feiglin, and groups of settlers broke into al-Aqsa mosque since early hours of the morning.

Al Aqsa Institute said in a press release that Moshe Feiglin, escorted by settlers broke into the mosque to perform Talmudic rituals, under the protection of Israeli forces.

Eyewitnesses said that Feiglin and settlers raided al-Aqsa mosque at 8 AM from al-Magharbeh gate and headed to the mosque where they performed their religious rituals and walked in the mosque's yards. more

On Wednesday September 5th Estelle passed Lisboa on her journey to Gaza and our goal to lift the siege. We are now halfway between Umeå in the north of Sweden and the Palestinian port of Gaza City. The crew reports dull sails. They have built a salt water shower and knotted rig gear. Soon we will sail into the Mediterranean. more
Twitter: @ShiptoGazaSE

At least six Palestinians have been killed in two Israeli strikes in Gaza against what Israel says were militants preparing rocket and bomb attacks.

Palestinians said three were killed by Israeli fire in the north of the strip on Thursday morning. Israel said they were planting a bomb near its fence.

Hours earlier, an air strike in central Gaza killed three militants who Israel said were set to fire rockets.

There has been a spate of rocket attacks and air strikes in recent days.

In the latest incident, Israel said it had fired at a "terrorist squad that was planting an explosive device". A Gaza health ministry official, Ashraf al-Qudra, said those killed were civilians, the AFP news agency reports.

It came hours after another strike which Israel said "targeted a terrorist squad... involved in previous rocket launches at communities located in southern Israel".

Witnesses said the air strike hit a car in which four people were travelling near the Bureij refugee camp. more